The present invention relates to a digital camcorder, and more specifically, to a digital camcorder which has an automatic select function for selecting an audio signal output channel. The present invention also relates to a recording/reproducing method of the audio signals. In the recording/reproducing method, a dubbing flag is inserted into a sub-code during a dubbing mode, and the sub-code is read during a playback mode, with a result that the audio signals of a sub-channel are automatically selected and output if a dubbing flag is detected, and the audio signals of a main channel are selected and output when there are no dubbing flags detected. The present invention is based on Korean Application No. 97-2875, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In digital and analog camcorders, audio signals may be recorded on a recording media during a shooting mode and during a dubbing mode. During the shooting mode, video signals are shot and audio signals in the shooting area are recorded at the same time. During the dubbing mode, audio signals, in addition to the audio signals recorded during the shooting mode, are artificially recorded.
There are differences between the tape-recording methods of analog and digital camcorders. That is, in analog camcorders, the audio signals of the shooting scenes are recorded in the audio channel on a recording tape during the shooting mode, and then these audio signals are erased and other audio signals are recorded in the audio channel during the dubbing mode. However, in digital camcorders, there is a main audio channel and a separate sub-audio channel. The main audio channel is the recording channel of the audio signals on the shooting scenes, and the sub-audio channel is the recording channel for additional audio signals such as background music.
Conventional digital camcorders have a disadvantage in that users must manually choose the channels. Moreover, users cannot easily find the exact timing when users play back the audio signals of the main channel recorded when photographing or those of the sub-channel recorded when dubbing, or when users play back the audio signals of the main and sub-channel simultaneously.